Nova Scotia is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including two involving university students returning to the province.
As a result of seven recoveries reported since Sunday, the province actually shrunk its number of active cases on Monday to 26.
Two of the cases are located in the central zone and are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. One case is located in the western zone and is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada.
The final two cases reported on Monday are located in the northern zone. One is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. The other individual is a close contact of a previously reported case.
In all cases the individuals who have been diagnosing with COVID-19 are self-isolating.
Two of the cases reported on Monday involve post-secondary students returning from the holidays.
One in the central zone is a student at Dalhousie University who lives off of the Halifax-based campus.
The second student is at Acadia University in Wolfville. That individual lives on campus and is self-isolating.
Cases involving post-secondary students are expected.
Health officials have said cases are likely to crop up as post-secondary students return from holidays.
It’s why any travellers arriving in Nova Scotia, except from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, are directed to self-isolate for a 14-day period.
Previously, New Brunswickers were included in the exemption.
But as a result of a booming caseload in the neighbouring province — 201 cases since Jan. 1 — Nova Scotia has now required that most travellers entering the province from New Brunswick fill out the safe check-in form, which is available on the province’s website, as well as self-isolate for 14 days.
There are exemptions for health-care workers, for individuals needing essential medical care and for those who make daily crossings for work.
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Monday also saw the province expand its vaccination program to areas outside of Halifax and long-term care residents.
Health-care workers in Cape Breton and long-term care residents at Northwood Halifax received doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Monday.
“Our health-care professionals are working hard to distribute the vaccine as quickly as possible. We can support them by being patient and continuing to follow all the public health measures that help us contain the virus,” Premier Stephen McNeil said in a press release.
It’s an especially important milestone for Northwood Halifax, which experienced the most significant outbreak of the disease in the province in 2020, with 345 cases involving 246 residents and 99 employees.
There have been 1,533 cases of the coronavirus in Nova Scotia since the pandemic began, of which 1,442 people are considered to have recovered.
Officials say 65 deaths are the result of the novel coronavirus. As of Monday, there are no people hospitalized as a result of COVID-19.
The province completed 2,193 tests on Sunday, moving the total number of completed tests to 252,351.
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